For the Culture

Dune in Review

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Timotheé Chalamet should begin his search for the fountain of youth immediately since he singularly excels at playing broody, moody, and overall angsty teenagers. Dune’s Paul Atreides, token Christ-figure, heir to House Atreides, and would-be savior of the planet Arrakis, falls into this familiar archetype of Chalamet’s. In addition to playing Atreides visually on screen, Chalamet also lends his talents to the torrents of lengthy voice-overs detailing the dreams and visions of Paul as he slowly but surely comes to the conclusion that he is the “Kwisatz Haderach'' or Messiah of Arrakis and it’s people, the nomadic Fremen.

Similarly talented are Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson who take their turn as playing Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica respectively, the parents of Paul. Ferguson in particular excels as an anchor alongside Chalamet, lending constancy to a cast of characters that is just a tad too hefty to keep track of amidst the sci-fi battles and orange dust of the movie’s landscape.

The one thing that can’t be denied of Dune is the sheer beauty of its design. The film explodes in bursts of deep blues, blacks, and near blistering orange, its landscape sweeping and intricate. A problem that I usually have with sci-fi is that it can often drown in the task of world-building and leave behind elements of the setting that could ground it and keep it rooted in some form of reality. By focusing on the rolling desert sand dunes and rock formations dotting the scenery, the grandiosity meshes with the familiarity that we have of similar visitas found on earth.

Overall, Dune is a good watch. However, you have to be prepared to pay close attention to the plot and be willing to accept that yes, it does drag at times, but what near three-hour-long movie doesn’t? However disappointing, the lack of Zendaya is (only seven minutes of her in the whole film!), Dune is the perfect exposition for a sequel that promises to be equally as grand a spectacle as its predecessor.